AMERICAN MUSEUM GUIDE LEAFLETS 
just within the hall for the Indians of the Southwest, are some additional 
examples. 
Quillwork may be found among the beaded objects in the Plains 
Indian Hall, where both quills and beads sometimes occur on the same 
object, especially in the Dakota, Cheyenne, Assiniboin, and Blackfoot 
collections. In the Woodland Hall ordinary quillwork occurs among the 
Menomini collections, while woven quillwork, one of the most interest- 
ing techniques, is shown in the wall cases marked Mackenzie Area. 
Finally, a small amount of bead and quillwork is shown in the Jesup 
North Pacifie Hall, north from the main entrance. 
2. WH 

BEAD EMBROIDERY. 
Originally all bead embroidery was upon skin, but later cloth was 
substituted. In general there is but one process: the beads are strung 
upon a thread and this is sewed down to the skin (Fig. 1). The 
arrangement of these threads is determined by the style of design: when 
the design is geometric, the threads are laid on parallel, not unlike the 
weft elements in a loom; but when flowered and other curved designs 
are attempted, the figures are built up by following the contour desired, 
or each unit of the design is formed independently. This can be seen in 
the illustrations. Sometimes floral designs are first embroidered in their 
proper position; then the background is filled out by laying the beads 
down in horizontal rows (Fig. 17). 
Some of the tribes using the straight parallel method, sew down the 
strings of beads at regular intervals, giving their work a banded, or 
ridged appearance (Fig. 2) in contrast to the uniform surface of that 
sewed at irregular intervals. 
In this case the design is built up by laying down one of these bands 
at a time, the uniform width kept by taking the same number of beads 
for each string. Ten and twelve are the usual numbers, resulting in a 
band about % inch wide. These bands and their bead units are also the 
main measuring units in laying out the design, as a little study of the 
specimens will show. 

